Cops question Wade’s son over graft claims

The son of Senegal's ex-president Abdoulaye Wade, Karim Wade (L), waves as he arrives on November 15, 2012 at the paramilitary police headquarters in Dakar.

Dakar -

The son of Senegal's ex-president Abdoulaye Wade was released from police custody early on Friday after lengthy questioning over graft allegations against him, a member of his entourage said.

“Karim (Wade) left the police headquarters at 3.30am (03.30 GMT). He then went home,” Modou Diagne Fada told AFP.

He was released after being picked up on Thursday and subjected to 15 hours of questioning.

It was not immediately clear whether any charges had been laid or whether Wade would have to report back for further questioning at a later time.

The 44-year old had already been questioned twice in July and most recently on November 15, after which he was forbidden to leave the country.

He and six other officials from Wade's regime are being investigated for graft by the regime of President Macky Sall who won a March poll marred by violence over the 86-year-old Wade's bid to seek a third term in office.

Karim Wade was a divisive figure whom many in Senegal saw as being groomed to succeed his father.

He was often criticised for alleged mismanagement of public finances and was nicknamed “super minister”, or “the minister of the earth and the sky” after the elder Wade placed him in charge of international cooperation, air transport, infrastructure and energy.

He was also appointed head of the national arm of what is now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and tasked with major public works ahead of the group's summit in Dakar in 2008.

The former ruling Senegalese Democratic Party has criticised the investigation and travel ban on Wade and other officials as a “witch hunt”. - Sapa-AFP